Artists starting with C

A Bestiary of

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Creatures, “A Bestiary of” (Polydor, 1997; original releases 1981, 1983)
So, whaddya get when the regal mistress of the moody, mind-benging end of Brit postpunk goes Hawaiian?!? The answer essential is, a Siouxsie record with no guitar and more/wilder/weirder percussion. The Hawaiianisms (it was recorded there) are played for atmosphere rather than festive fun (surprise), so this is recommended for Banshees fans (if not for devotees of Don Ho).
Try 2, 3, 6, 10, 11
7/29/12

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Fin

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Crispy Ambulance, “Fin” (LTM, 1999; original recordings 1980-82)
This vintage Factory Benelux act is a cult band that deserves its cult; if anything, it ought to be bigger. Shares an astringently minimalist guitar-bass-drums counterpoint with Joy Div, but they swirl around in a much more open-ended and dream-like manner. This live stuff leans toward their drony/noisy side (including a Throbbing Gristle cover) and is typically superb.
Try 2, 6, 7, 8
8/16/15

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Endless Flowers

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Crocodiles, “Endless Flowers” (French Kiss, 2012)
This band explores the lighter, more lilting side of Jesus & MaryChain style guitar-noise-pop on this release, and the result is quite pleasant whether in lulling or propulsive mode.
Try 1, 8.
7/12/12

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Negative World

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Cruddy, “Negative World” (IZXU, 2012)
Music situated at the axis of garage, harcore, and postpunk – loose, frenzied, angular, rousing.
Try A/1, A/4, B/3
5/5/12

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Messin’ With The Boys

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Cherie and Marie Currie, “Messin’ With The Boys” (Capitol, 1979)
This continues Cherie’s drift into soft-rock territory, but there’s still a lurid glam afterglow that makes its chardonnay lifestyling a little more fun than the competition.
Try 1/1, 2/1
10/2/18

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Beauty’s Only Skin Deep

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Cherie Currie, “Beauty’s Only Skin Deep” (Lemon, 2005; original release Mercury, 1977)
Fresh from the Runaways, Currie released this album, which promptly vanished without a trace, but it deserved a better fate. It filters the Bowie and glitter sounds Currie first fell in love with into a teenage fantasy where punk, arena-rock, and AM radio bubblegum blend into an immaculately modern pop ecstasy.
Try 2, 5, 10
7/19/12

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Danger Zone

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China White, “Danger Zone” (Frontier, 1981);
Flyboys, “Flyboys” (Frontier, 1980)
These were the first two releases from early L.A. HC/punk label Frontier. Named after the brand of designer heroin that would soon kill Darby Crash, China White were as malevolent, fast and snotty as you’d expect – lean and metallic HC with beach-punk hooks and a lyrical focus on classical L.A. wasted-teen/dark-side-of-paradise thematics. The Flyboys were quite different, filtering a mid-‘60s melodic, minor-key L.A. folk/garage sound through the stripped-down propulsion of Masque-era L.A. punk.
Picks: China White: 1, 2, 4; Flyboys: 7, 9 (“So Juvenile,” not-to-be-missed for devotees of catchy garage-punk)

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Underachievers Please Try Harder

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Camera Obscura, “Underachievers Please Try Harder” (Merge, 2003)
Funny title, because this album represents this band’s transition from good to great. Same jangly/melodic C86/Velts-derived indie pop as before, same range of moods from effervescent to meditative, but these songs are just so brilliantly articulated and incisive. A must-hear for fans of this sound.
Try 1, 6, 7, 10
2/14/13

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Hidden Lands

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Candy Claws, “Hidden Lands” (Twosyllable, 2010)
Kooky studio indie-pop from this guy-gal duo. Vague Smile/early Eno influence here, appropriate to a “soundtrack” to a book about the wonders of nature’s minutiae, and the best of this is like a dream/hallucination of some kids’ ride at a natural-history museum.
Try 1, 10
7/29/12

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Candypants

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Candypants, “Candypants” (SFTRI, 2000)
Pop of an elusively eclectic stripe – some garage/’60s usages, but also traces of folk, bubblegum and even show tunes. All super-fun, especially the irrepressibly bounce-crazed “Dishy” (you may have heard it on early-‘60s TV or movie soundtracks).
Ty 2, 8
8/16/15

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